Premature Newborns

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A premature newborn is one who is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, needs lots of special care. The most important thing is to keep the baby warm. This is done by keeping the baby in the incubator which provides the same warmth as in the womb of the mother. This is because the temperature regulation centre of the baby is not yet developed. The lungs of the baby are not developed too. The baby generally has difficulty in breathing. Initially oxygen is given but even then if the baby has respiration difficulty then the baby is put on a ventilator.  In some cases, a special medicine surfactant is added to improve lung maturity. This helps in early maturity of the lungs. The liver is immature too and the newborn is liable to develop physiological jaundice which takes 2-3 weeks to disappear. Due to liver immaturity blood clotting factors are not developed and the baby should urgently be given Vitamin K, otherwise the baby will develop hemorrhages and bleeding.




According to Dr. Mubina Agboatwala-a child specialist in Karachi, feeding of the premature is an important issue. Generally, the baby cannot suck well so intravenous fluids are given. A nasogastric tube is passed for feeding the baby. Mother’s milk should be pumped and be given via a nasogastric tube till the baby develops sucking ability. This happens generally within one week after birth. The kidney function should be followed; urine output should also be monitored. Antibiotics are given to control any infection. With proper management nearly 95% premature newborns survive.

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